Syria's head talks of peace, resisting

Tuesday

Mar 31, 2009 at 12:01 AMMar 31, 2009 at 11:01 AM

DOHA, Qatar -- Syria's president made clear yesterday that he still wants peace with Israel, but he told Arab leaders that they must take a tougher approach with the new, hard-line government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

DOHA, Qatar -- Syria's president made clear yesterday that he still wants peace with Israel, but he told Arab leaders that they must take a tougher approach with the new, hard-line government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Addressing an Arab League summit in Qatar, Bashar Assad appeared to present himself as someone who could lead the Arab world toward peace with Israel. But he urged militants to keep up resistance, saying that is needed to force the incoming Israeli prime minister to compromise.

The "real aim of Israel's recently elected government is against peace," Assad said. "This does not require us to change our strategy of peace, but we should change tactics and means."

Assad has said he wants direct negotiations with Israel mediated by the United States.

But he has been reluctant to make the concessions that Israel and the United States are demanding: that he end support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah and distance himself from powerful ally Iran.

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